Lowlife bill collectors & HIPAA

[SoFla]

June 1, 2005 our health insurance was abrutly canceled. Insurance claimed the check arrived late, although it was dated, and sent in the usual timely manner. It wasn't until our pharmacy informed us that we had no insurance to cover a Rx that we learned we had been dropped. It was nearly two weeks later, near the end of the month, that the insurance company sent us a letter informing us that we were no longer covered.

Fast forward to October, 2006. Without warning, we are now getting phone calls from a debt collector attempting to collect for a prescription that our pharmacy filled before insurance informed them or us that we were canceled. We pay our bills. We have an excellent credit rating that is not going to be hurt by a few hundred dollars. As far as I'm concerned, they can stuff the bad debt where the sun don't shine. It's now a matter of principal to us.

What gets to me is that these lowlife bill collectors have my personal medical information! Isn't it a violation of HIPAA to disclose my Rx to anyone, even a debt collector?